6 years old son

my six year old son was diagnosed with adhd but i have been looking up things on bipolar disorder and he also has the signs of this disorder and all i want to do is get to the problem of what is going on with my son, i am having a difficult time dealing with it i dont know what to do i am at my wits end. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder myself about a year ago my brother also has it my father my aunt and my mom, there is a very large portion of my family that have this disorder and all i want to know is if there is any one that can give me some advice on what i can do to help get my son better he gets angry and throws things at me he also hits and kicks my walls he pushed a boy down at school for taking cuts and threw him on the floor he kicks and hits his brother for no reason when he is mad so we try to seperate them and give him a time out and then it gets worse. please anyone with some advice please e mail me at lovesick_for_you_99***@**** i can use all the help i can get please and thankyou. have a great day

Bipolar certainly has a strong hereditary influence. And I am sure as you know that he will really need professional help if he is bipolar - or even just adhd. The long post below is from another member well versed with bipolar. While I can't vouch for its accuracy, it seems correct from what I have researched. The diet suggestions are completely by him, I have no knowledge in this area. Hope it at least helps you figure out what he has. Best wishes.
Sent by gjayme31 Oct 05, 2010 02:27AM
This is a list of the differences between ADHD and Bipolar because they are very similar:
1. Destructiveness may be seen in both disorders but differs in origin. Children who are ADHD often break things carelessly while playing (“non-angry destructiveness”), whereas the major destructiveness of children who are bipolar is not a result of carelessness but tends to occur in anger. Children who are bipolar may exhibit severe temper tantrums during which they release manic quantities of physical and emotional energy, sometimes with violence and physical property destruction. They may even exhibit openly sadistic impulses.
2. The duration and intensity of physical outbursts and temper tantrums differs in the two disorders. Children who are ADHD usually calm down in twenty to thirty minutes, whereas children who are bipolar may continue to feel and act angry for up to four hours.
3. The degree of “regression” during angry episodes is typically more severe for children who are bipolar. It is rare to see an angry child who is ADHD display disorganized thinking, language, and body position, all of which may be seen in angry bipolar children during a tantrum. Children who are bipolar may also lose memory of the tantrum.
4. The “trigger” for temper tantrums is also different. Children who have ADHD are typically triggered by sensory and emotional over stimulation, whereas children who have bipolar disorder typically react to limit-setting, such as a parental “no.”
5. Disturbances during sleep in children with bipolar disorder include severe nightmares or night terrors often with themes of explicit gore and bodily mutilation.
6. Children who are bipolar often show giftedness in certain cognitive functions, especially verbal and artistic skills (perhaps with verbal precocity and punning by age two to three years).
7. The misbehavior in children with ADHD is often accidental and usually caused by oblivious inattention, whereas children with bipolar disorders intentionally provoke or misbehave. Some bipolar children are described as “the bully on the playground.”
8. The child with ADHD may engage in behavior that can lead to harmful consequences without being aware of the danger, whereas the child with bipolar disorder is risk seeking.
9. Bipolar children tend to have a strong early sexual interest and behavior.
10. Children with ADHD usually do not exhibit psychotic symptoms or reveal a loss of contact with reality, whereas children with bipolar disorder may exhibit gross distortions in the perception of reality or in the interpretation of emotional events.

There are 3 levels of bipolar. Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia. Lithium is usually used to treat bipolar because it treats depression and mania but it cannot be given to a child under 12. I have never used drugs. If a child is hyper I use the adkins diet as it will bring a hyper person down within a week. Pure protein and dairy. The will be lethargic by week 2 but I usually keep it going for a month. Stimulants are good for treating depression. Its only dangerous for mania because when a person is in mania they are secreting large amounts of adrenaline and endorpines and they are stimulants. When a stimulant is added you get kids that can't ever sleep and they will develop psychotic symptoms quick.
Oh BTW let parents know that even if its ADHD or bipolar any cough syrup or flu medication over the counter will triple symptoms. All of them state under warnings do not use if you have a psychiatric condition. I use thyme to treat sinus congestion, hey fever and sore throat. Oregano is a heavy seditive and sometimes I use chamomile teas.

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